Assisted Billing 

Assisted Billing (AB) is an ANTHC, Department of Rural Utility Management Services (DRUMS) program which assists member communities with utility billing for water/wastewater and/or electric utility systems in rural Alaska.  There are a number of program advantages to rural communities, including economies of scale and a team of billing support.

AB processes monthly utility billing and receives utility fee payments for participating communities. The money collected, minus a monthly service fee, is then electronically transferred back to the community to operate their water/wastewater and/or electric utility system.

Important Features:

• AB generates invoices, keeps records of customer payments, and shares customer account information with community, including providing delinquent and shutoff lists of non-paying customers (if elected)
• Customers can mail utility payments to ANTHC’s Anchorage office for depositing. Once per month, ANTHC keeps its monthly billing service fee from payments collected, and electronically transfers the rest of the revenue to the community to operate their water/wastewater and or electric utility system. 

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• Additional payment options include paying in-person at the Anchorage office, online bill pay, over the phone credit card payments (Monday-Friday, 9-5pm), PFD assignments, and auto-pay with a signed agreement
• ANTHC charges a monthly service fee to cover billing staff labor, postage, envelopes, software, etc. based on the number of homes in the community.  This way, each community will pay only their share of the expenses associated with the billing service
• AB can help perform a rate study for communities and will recommend rates if requested
• Requires only a 30-day commitment between ANTHC and the community
• Assisted Billing could lead to ARUC water/wastewater membership if the community desires and if the water/wastewater system can be self-supporting.  Community does not have to join full ARUC, however. Communities must be members of Assisted Billing for a minimum of one year and demonstrate the ability to become financially self-supporting to join ARUC
• Billing Assistance does not solve Best Practice scores, but can improve the revenue and budget scoring sections of a community’s score

Assisted Billing Communities Include:

Resources

• Community Spreadsheet – ARUC Manager List
• Commercial Water and Wastewater Service Agreement
• Customer Labor/Parts Request Form
• Metered Commercial Water and Wastewater Service Agreement
• Residential Utility Service Agreement
• ARUC Credit Card Auto Payment Form
• Service Change Form Account Closure
• Frequently Asked Questions – Billing
• Frequently Asked Questions – Homeowner Responsibilities